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Domestic
Violence Homicide
Risk Assessment
(data
fromUSDOJ Scale)

Note:
The top five risk factors for domestic violence homicide usually
don't bleed! In fact, these high risk factors often don't leave
any visible marks at all.

The
only sure way to determine the presence of these high risk factors
is through careful, comprehensive victim interviews.

Ask
& Document

The
Top Five Risk Factors

The numbers in
parenthesis indicate the factor by which a domestic violence
victim's risk of homicide is increased relative to other
domestic violence victims.

Has the
abuser ever used, or threatened to use, a gun, knife,
or other weapon against victim? (20.2x )

Ever threatened
to kill or injure victim? (14.9x) Document complete and
accurate quotes of the threats

Ever tried
to strangle (choke) the victim? (9.9x)

Is abuser
violently or constantly jealous? (9.2x )

Has abuser
ever forced victim to have sex? (7.6x )

More Notes:
The US Dept. of Justice has now compiled a number of smaller
studies into a lethality assessment list of 17 risk factors
for domestic violence homicide. (The full lethality risk
scale can be found at www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/jr000250e.pdf
Scroll to bottom of document. )

The numbers
in parenthesis indicate the factor by which a domestic violence
victim's risk of homicide is increased relative to other
domestic violence victims. For example, if the abuser has
used or threatened to use weapons, the victim's risk of
domestic violence homicide is 20.2 times that of the average
domestic violence victim.

Always
Keep in Mind: All Domestic Violence Victims Are at Heightened
Risk of Homicide.

Don't dismiss
threats to kill and maim as "just words". All
victims should be asked about threats, and all threats
should be quoted accurately and in detail. Also, threats
to kill or maim are a crime in California, PC 422.

Even victim
advocates often fail to ask about sexual violence in the
relationship. Sexual violence is serious trauma, and,
is a high risk factor for domestic violence homicide.
Don't be shy. Always ask!

The USDOJ
lethality scale deals only with factors inside the relationship.
Other studies have found that factors outside the relationship
- such as the quality of prior law enforcement or court
response - correlate with future lethality. But again,
the key to uncovering these risk factors is the same;
a careful, comprehensive victim interview.

How
You Can Help

Please
pass this page on to health workers, teachers, clergy, counselors,
friends, police, and neighbors... Or post it at your work, school,
church or home.